Laundry machine



April 20, 1937.

N. L. ETTEN LAUNDRY MACHINE Filed Jan. 13, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 20,v 1937. L ETTEN -2,077,467

LAUNDRY MACHINE I v. Filed Jan; 15, 1934 2 Sheets$heet 2 Jv'zicholaa L. Fw n; E/W m p 5 40 rolls under pressure.

Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFricE L UNDRY MACHINE Nicholas Ii. Ettcn, Waterloo, Iowa,

Walter K.'Voss, Davenport, Io

January 13, 1934, Serial No. 706,466 I Claims. (01. 63-32) Application chine.

Another object of the invention is toprovide, in a machine of this nature,'new and improved means for releasing the operative pressure normally applied to the rolls of the wringer when an overload is encountered by the mechanism.

Another object of the invention resides in-the provision, in a laundry machine having a power driven wringer, mechanism which includes a safety release device for relieving the operating pressure under which the wringer rolls normally operate, of means responsive to an overload on the driving means for actuating said safety release mechanism to relieve said operating pres sure between the rolls.

i A further object isto provide a new and 'improved wringer mechanism having power driven rolls normally maintained under an operative pressure, and means operable when an excess load is placed on said rolls to release said pressure and to discontinue the driven operation of the rolls,

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a laundry machine embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the wringer assembly illustrating part of the holding mechanism for maintaining the wringer Fig. 2 is a'vertical longitudinal section on a transverse scale through the wringer assembly.

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram of the control circuits of the laundry machine.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and'will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it i,

is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the. invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternativeconstructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

The laundry machine which has been shown assignor to in the drawings, merely for-the purpose of illustrating the invention, is similar in many respects to that illustrated and. describedin copending application of Walter K. Voss and NicholasL.

'Ettn, Serial No. 604,178, filed April 9, 1932, and.

reference thereto may be had to obtain a particular description of the structure and opera-' tion'of the features common to both machines. For-the purpose of facilitating understandingof the present invention, however, a brief description of the essential features of construction dry machine tub and supporting frame therefor is designated by the numeral l0. Within the tub is an agitator actuating shaft II which is driven by 'an electric motor I! through suitable driving connections located in the casing l3, 'Otherconnections in said casing actuate a vertical drive shaft M (Fig. 2) within a sleeve-i5. The shaft I4 is the wringer drive shaft and rotates one roll of a pair of cooperating wringer rolls it, ill, Operative control of the rolls for movement in either direction from a' neutral position is effected by a suitable gear and clutch mechanism it which is manipulable through a clutch shaft 89.

The wringer structure is rigidly supported from a gear casing 20, within which the clutch mechanism is mounted, and embodies generally a U- shaped frame having hollow or channeled side stiles 2!. In this instance the lower wringer roll I6 is driven and. it is rotatably supported by a shaft 22 which rests at each end upon bearings 23 located in the channelsof the side stiles. The upper roll I! runs in contact with the lower roll and is driven thereby. This roll is supported upon a shaft 24 and the ends of the shaft within the side stiles have half-bearings 25 resting thereon. A separate relatively movable channeled head 25 is arranged to fit telescopically over the upper ends 'of the side stiles. A leaf spring 21 is supported within the head by a tensioning device 28 in such manner that the ends of the spring may transmit a force to ,thehalf-bearings 25 and thence to the upper wringer roll I! for maintaining the wrin'ger rolls under an operative pressure.

The head-and wringer frame are provided withinterlatching .or interlocking means which is instantly detachable or releasable to relieve the rolls from the operative pressure normally imposed thereon. Such an arrangement is conventionally known as a safety release mechanism, and in this embodiment, comprises the following structure.

The head 26 at each end has U-shaped members ings andshafts in the respective side stiles and.

the base of each stirrup is located near the bottom of the frame. One of the stirrups, in this instance the one located at the right-hand side of the frame as seen in Fig. 2, and designated 33.

has alined. and transversely facing recesses 3|,

formed intermediate the upper and lower ends of the-arms, for engagement-with a pin 32 on the frame, the parts being so positioned and arranged that engagement between the recesses 3| and pin 32 is efiected by a lateral and downward movement of the headin the act of assembling the corresponding end of the head telescopically over its associated side stile.

The stirrup 29 at the other end of the wringer is arranged for engagement by an impositive latch mechanism which in and of itself cannot exert a force for holding the head in operative position on the frame. To this end the frame carries a. pivoted latch 33 arranged to be hooked over the base 34 of the stirrup 29. An arm 35 is secured rigidly to the latch and extends upwardly along and exteriorly of the side stile. The rela-' tionship of these parts preferably is such that the latch33 can be maintained inoperative holding engagement with the base of the stirrup 29 only when a holding force is exerted on the lever arm 35. If such a force is not present or is suddenly released,the tension of the leaf spring 21 which is exerted, in eifect, between the head and frame is sufificient to swing the latch 33 about its pivot,

' thusreleasing the associated end of the head for upward movement. This movement in turn disengages the interlatch between the interlatching parts 3|, 32 at the other end of the frame.

The force for holding the arm 35 in operative position is, in the present device, electromagnetically applied. Thus, near its upper end the arm 35 carries an outwardly and horizontally extending arm 36 which is engaged and held by the armature 31- of an electromagnet 31 when the armature is attracted towardsaid electromagnet. Whenever the electromagnet'is deenergized, the arms 35, 36 are released, the latch 33 swings out of engagement with the stirrup base 34 and the operative pressure between the wringer rolls'is circuit with a suitable source of current is obtained through a plug 38 from one terminal of which a lead 39 connects with one point 40 of a three point connection block 4|-. A lead 42 from the point 40 extends to one contact 43 of a master switch. A lead 44 from the other terminal of the plug 38 is connected with a second point 45 of the connection block 4| from which point a lead 45 extends to one side of the motor l2. A lead 41 from the other side of the motor 2 is connected with the third point 48 of the connection block and from this point a lead 49 extends to one contact point 50 of a double-pole manually controllable switch 5|. A movable contact 52 which cooperates with the contact point 50 is connected through a lead 53 with the other contact 54 of the master switch. A circuit across the contacts 43, 54 of the master switch is closed by a conducting bar 55 which is mounted on thearmature 56 of the electromagnet 31 and is held against said contacts when the electromagnet is of the stirrup 29 when the wringer is being conditioned for operation.

,The circuit thus far described is the motor energizing circuit and may be traced from the plug through lead 39, point 40, lead 42, contact 43, conducting bar 55, contact 54, lead 53, switch parts 52 and 50, lead 49, terminal 48, lead-41, 'motor l2, lead 46, terminal 45 and lead 44 to the plug.

The energizing circuit for the electromagnet 31 is as follows: From the terminal point 45 a lead 53 is connected with one terminal 59 of a switch 60. The circuit through the switch 65 to,

the other terminal 5| is closed by a conductor bar 52 which is supported upon the movable core 53 of Y normally closed switch 58. The other terminal 69 of said switch is connected by a lead 10 with a contact point 1| in the double-polemanually controlled switch 5|. A cooperative movable contact 12 is connected by a lead 13 with the lead 53 which has direct connection through themaster switch with the source of current. -Hence, when the master switch is closed by movement of the conducting bar 55 into engagement with contacts .43 and 5.4, the electromagnet 31 will be energized to hold the parts in circuit closing position as long as the other switches in the circuit are closed. Interruption of the circuit through any switch deenergizes the electromagnet 31, releases the armature 56 and breaks the circuit through the master switch thereby stopping the driven operation of the motor |2.' Release of the armature, as has been pointed out releases the wringer rolls from the operating pressure imposed thereon.

The normally closed switch 68 is arranged to be opened by movement of an impact bar assembly 14 which is located on both sides of the wringer frame in a position which is convenient and accessible to the operator whereby in an emergency the switch 38 may be instantly opened to deenergize the electromagnet with the operative results previously described. Lead (iii is connected across leads 53 and 10 to provide a shunt circuit around the manually operable switch 5| so that this switch may be opened and closed to interrupt the motor circuit without opening the energizing circuit for theelectromagnet 31.- Interposed in this shunt lead 58" is aswitch 88 which is associated with the clutch actuating shaft so as to be closed'only when the clutch mechanism I3 is in neutral position. Hence the manually operable switch 5| can be actuated to break the motor circuit without opening the electromagnet circuit only when the clutch mechanism is in neutral.

The presentdevice embodies means for inter rupting the circuit of the motor to stop the driven movement of th rolls immediately upon the imposition of an excess load or overload upon the motor. Moreover, this'means is adapted, upon the imposition of an overload, to release the mechanism by which the rolls are normally maintained under pressure. Thus, if the overload is imposed on the wringer rolls, as when an unusually large mass of clothes is fed therebetw'een or when some part of the operators body becomes caught between the rolls, damage to the rolls or further injury to the operator is prevented.

A preferred form of such a means embodies the following arrangement of parts. The movable solenoid core 63 is normally urged by spring means 15 into a position wherein the circuit through the switch Gil is closed. Associated with the solenoid core 63 is an energizing winding 16 which is interposed in series in the lead 42. The winding 16 is thus included in the motor energizing circuit and the pull of the winding is so predetermined that under normal operating conditions its force is insufllcient to overcome the opposing force of the spring I5. The circuit through the switch Gil, therefore, remains closed. However, when an overload is imposed on the motor E2 the additional current flow resulting therefrom increases the pull of the winding '56 until its force overcomes the tension of the spring I5 whereupon the core 63 moves to carry the conductor bar 62 away from the terminals Bil, ti to break the circuit through the switch 6d. Since the switch 60 is connected in the energizing circuit for the winding 65 of th electromagnet 37, opening of the switch deenergizes the electromagnet, instantly interrupts-the motor driving circuit and at the same time releases the means by which the rolls are maintained under operative pressure.

If desired, a lamp 11 may be connected in shunt across the leads 58 and 42 by leads I8 and 19120 provide a means for denoting a connection of the circuit with a source of current.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that a 5 new and improvedlaundry machine has been provided wherein an overload imposed on the driving motor effects an interruption of the motor circuit to stop further operation oi. the motor and I also to release the means by which the wringer rolls are normally maintained under an operative pressure. The present invention results in an increased factor of safety to the operator and is a means for preventing injury or damage to the machine.

I claim as my invention? 1. In a laundry machine, the combination of a wringer mechanism including rolls, means for maintainingsaid rolls under an operating pressure, and means for releasing the rolls from said 50 pressure, means for driving said rolls, and means responsive to the imposition of any load on the driving means in excess of the load which the driving means is normally expected to encounter to discontinue operation of the roll driving means and to actuate the means for releasing the rolls from said pressure.

2. In a laundry machine, the combination of wringer rolls, means for driving said rolls, means for applying pressure to said rolls including-an electrically controlled device operable to release said rolls from such pressure, a circuit including the roll driving means and said device, and means in said circuit responsive to an overload on the driving means for breaking the circuit to stop the roll driving means and to operate said device to effect a release of pressure.

3. In a laundry machine, the combination oi. I

wringer rolls, means for driving said rolls, means for applying pressure to said rolls including an electromagnet operable to release said rolls from such pressure, a circuit including the roll driving means and said electromagnet, and means in said circuit responsive to an overload for breaking operate said electromagnet to effect a release of pressure.

4. In a laundry machine, the combination of wrlnger rolls, means for applying an operating pressure to said rolls including electromagnetic means operable to release such pressure, means for driving said rolls, and means responsive to an overload for operating said electromagnetic means to release said pressure when an overload is placed on the mechanism.

5. In a laundry machine, the combination of wringer rolls,'means for driving said rolls including an energizing circuit, releasable means for maintaining said wringer rolls under an operating pressure including an electromagnetic device for holding said releasable means against release. an energizing circuit for said electromagnetic device including a circuit breaker which is also common to said circuit for the driving means, a switch in the circuit iorsaid electromagnetic device, and means responsive to an overload current in the circuit for the driving means for opening said switch. NICHOLAS L. 

